Book SummaryMindshift, by Barbara Oakley

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of Mindshift

Whether you’re unhappy at work, interested in another field, or worried that your job is in danger of becoming obsolete, it’s never too late to make a career change. Barbara Oakley asserts that whatever your age or occupation, you can have a mindshift, which means expanding your skill set—and, consequently, your opportunities—through transformative learning. In Mindshift, she writes that it’s possible to overcome perceived barriers (such as age, imposter syndrome, or a lack of money) and gain new skills so you can reinvent yourself.

Oakley is proof that it’s possible to make a big change and flourish despite presumed weaknesses. She says that growing up, she believed she wasn’t good at math or science, so she avoided those subjects in college and got a degree in languages. After graduating, she...

Mindshift Summary The Importance of Mindshifts

Mindshifts are important for two reasons. First, Oakley asserts that they allow us to reach our full potential. Often, we’re forced to choose a career path at an early age, when we still don’t have a real sense of who we are or what we want to do. Having a mindshift allows us to diverge from a path we set as teenagers and become more than we thought we could be.

(Shortform note: It’s normal to be wistful about career paths not taken. In one survey, 21% of respondents said they often thought about other careers they could have explored, which prevented them from staying engaged at work. If a career change isn’t currently an option, you can stop ruminating on the “what ifs” by reminding yourself why you chose the path you’re on and reflecting on the good things about it.)

Second, Oakley argues that mindshifts allow us to enhance or gain skills so we can keep up with a fast-changing world. With technology developing at breakneck speed, our roles at work are constantly evolving and requiring us to adapt. Mindshifts give us more versatility and enable us to provide more value to employers,...

Mindshift Summary How to Have a Mindshift

Oakley’s three main tips for having a mindshift are: Change your perspective, determine what you want to do next, and learn how to learn. We’ll discuss each in detail.

Change Your Perspective

Oakley says that to have a mindshift, you first need to adjust your mindset. In particular, you should realize the value of your experience and be humble.

Realize the Value of Your Experience

Oakley writes that shifting to something new may seem intimidating because you feel like others in your desired field have a head start, but she argues that starting later than your peers doesn’t necessarily put you at a disadvantage. In fact, she asserts that your experience in one field gives you unique, transferable skills that you can use in unexpected ways in another field. She gives the example of a Juilliard-trained musician who later became a doctor; his musically trained ear gave him the unique ability to detect irregular heart sounds.

(Shortform note: Oakley’s example of a musician-turned-physician isn’t all that unusual. Recognizing the value of musicians’ training, Canada’s [Memorial University of Newfoundland recruits many of its music students to study...

Mindshift Summary Overcoming Perceived Barriers

In addition to her general tips for having a mindshift, Oakley has specific advice for overcoming common perceived barriers to learning new skills: being a slow learner, thinking you’re too old, feeling like an imposter, and not having enough time or money.

Barrier #1: Being a Slow Learner

This barrier can manifest in two ways: You might grasp concepts more slowly than your peers, or you might believe you’re a slow learner because your way of learning differs from schools’ traditional methods of teaching.

If you’re a slow learner who takes more time to understand concepts compared to your peers, the following tips can help you manage:

1. Be prepared. Find out what you’ll be learning in class in advance so you can get familiar with the material and get a headstart on understanding it. (Shortform note: If you’re learning outside a classroom setting through a mentor, prepare for your mentorship meetings so that you don’t waste your mentor’s time. Be proactive by telling your mentor what your objectives are so that they can tailor their support to your needs, and [come up with a list of topics or...

Shortform Exercise: Prepare Yourself for a Mindshift

Oakley says that having a mindshift includes realizing the value of your experience and figuring out what you want to do next.

What is your current career? What are the skills that you’ve gained in this career?

Shortform Exercise: Overcome Your Barriers

Perceived barriers can discourage people from having a mindshift. Be more aware of your barriers and come up with a plan to overcome them.

Recall the four barriers: being a slow learner, advanced age, imposter syndrome, and lack of time or money. Which of these is getting in the way of your mindshift?